I went to a fantastic little meeting last night. It was held in this beautiful home in Central Austin and had people from all over the city, representing several churches, coffee houses, bookstores, arts, music, organizations -- any believers involved in the arts in Austin was invited. It was so cool.
The Arts Pastor for Hope Chapel, David Taylor, called the meeting and after about an hour of socializing and munching, he called us together and spoke a little about our collective resources and unity in the body. He spoke about how all of us don't care for each other (not in a pound us down, guilt-ridden way, but just reality and honesty) and how things happened when we learned a person's name (or could happen) and how there was probably a demonic force befhind us not connecting and relating and caring to each other. I wish I had a transcription of what he said, because it was beautiful, truthful, and profound. It made me want to shout and cry and say "Amen!"
Here's hoping that this community can come together and pool its resources -- and that this sort of thing can keep happening and start to happen all over the world.
It's deadline week. This time there's a rehearsal dinner and wedding and a trip to Nashville starting Friday night, so I have no flexibility for this deadline in case I can't make it. There's a wall erected this Friday, and I'm determined to finish before I hit it.
:?)
Please pray for my #1 righthand man at HM, John Thompson. He's our Marketing/Advertising Director and we were "meeting" via email the day after ad space reservation closing deadline about where we were at (we're short this issue) and what pages were open, and he was emailing me from an Urgent Care clinic. Later in the afternoon he shoots me an email from an ambulance on its way to Mercy Hospital. This is serious stuff. He had some internal bleeding. I got a message yesterday that he was finally out from under sedation and they took the breathing tube out yesterday morning. Silly guy (and heroic man) was concerned about HM's deadline. I've sent messages to those around him and to him that we need him healthy and to rest and take it easy and not worry about it. We've got his back and his whole being covered (in prayer and action). So, it's been an intense deadline.
Here's the latest update:
*update* 3.25.06 - 11:00am
Good report...The doctors allowed John to wake up, so he's getting his bearings and talking with his family. They are going to keep him in the ICU overnight tonight, have him rest tomorrow at the hospital, and then consider sending him home assuming no other complicationa arise. Continue to pray for his recovery.